Original Amigurumi Crochet Patterns

Sunshine and Showers

Well, what a strange summer so far. It feels like it’s been raining for months, Oh wait… that’s because it has! Though the last couple of days have flipped all that on it’s head with a sudden and rather rapid rise in temperatures to 32 degrees – and totally clear skies for the first time in a long time yesterday.

Despite, or maybe because of, the largely rainy weather (with more forecast for tonight) it has been a matter of urgency to get outside and enjoy every last spot of sunshine that is available – taking my crochet with me whenever I can of course, as there’s nothing nicer than hooking a few rounds or rows while surrounded by the great outdoors.

I felt a bit wary to be greeted by this sight at the bus stop in my mum’s village just a day before a planned party in this very field. I appreciate that all the rain keeps England a green and pleasant land, but a bit of sunshine makes summer parties and celebrations work so much better!

As it happened the next day dawned with a mix of sunshine and rain so we headed off to the field regardless of the imminent possibility of a thorough drenching and enjoyed what we could of a leisurely Saturday afternoon in pretty pastoral surroundings.

A rounders match was followed by a Tug of War contest.

There was a barbeque, sandwiches, ice cream, music, fine wine and good company so despite having to run for cover during some flash downpours, to take shelter in an unfortunately very leaky marquee, we still managed to have a splendid time and my Spring Circles blanket gained a few extra stitches on the border.

With all this wet weather I think the flip flops may have been an overly optimistic choice, but I always live in hope, and the plea of unsuitable footwear got me out of any danger of having to participate in the rounder’s match!

Just as every cloud has a silver lining, every sun soaked rainstorm has a shiny rainbow. How lovely to have such a beautiful reward for our sporadic soakings.

Back at home and progress continued on my blanket border.

It’s rather nice to sit indoors hooking away quite merrily, and the mostly bad weather does focus me to get on with more creative projects at home. This summer I’ve been as productive as I usually am in the winter months as we just haven’t felt like risking camping trips or festivals so far. Maybe things will change later on in the year but so far I’ve enjoyed the extra time to spend at home and there are so many ways to make your own sunshine moments.

Redecorating the lounge several weeks back was a great start to ensure an extra dose of brightness and light amidst the gloomy skies mocking us through the window.

I’ve recently turned from disliking white walls with a vengeance to loving them with a passion, so the whole house is slowly being freshened up with some tins of cheap emulsion and a bit of time and patience. Its taken quite a few layers to paint over my out-of-favour deep, rich wall (and ceiling) colours, but it’s just so worth it. Maybe I just love change. Hubby is already wondering out loud how long it will be before I decide I’m missing the colours and demand to have them all back again. Who knows?! But I’m quite happy to keep the rainbows going in my crochet furnishings and accessories for now instead.

Tigger agrees and snuggles down in a colourful yarn nest…

…wherever he can find one. Pogo prefers a yarn nest with a lap underneath it.

So I add the border around him in my usual cat-indulgent manner.

Now here’s a first… Mojo settles down on top of an unsuspecting and fast-asleep Pogo, separated only by a layer of crochet! So cosy but their combined weight soon got me shifting around trying to alleviate a dose of pins and needles.

As you can see there have been a few more rows added to the final border despite all this botheration from the cats. The best way to avoid cat harassment is to crochet in the car, so despite the blanket’s somewhat unwieldy bulk I managed to cram it in and crochet in peace for a few hours on a recent trip to Cardiff.

I’ve also been adding to the stack of small squares for my next blanket/waistcoat/set of cushions/poncho/coasters… Hmmm, how to decide?

I’ve got quite a few now, all in the same sorts of colours as my Spring Circles blanket. Yep, I’m still loving turquoise and pink. xxx

There really is something very satisfying about owning a whole heap of squares yet not being quite decided on what to do with them. All those exciting possibilities waiting to be explored. They’re perfectly sized for handbag stashing too so I’m making a few pretty much anywhere and everywhere I can. I have lots of fun just spreading them out on the floor simply to admire them and play with different colour combinations.

Life hasn’t just been one big round of crocheted squares though. I’ve been working on a few new patterns too.

I’m ironing out the wrinkles for a princess doll as Curlicue the Unicorn wanted a special friend to play with. I think these two will make a very cutesome twosome together. I had a bit of a nightmare working out her dress pattern but it’s mostly all done and dusted now. I think I’m going to call her Petunia.

There’s just the writing up and double/triple/quadruple testing that I like to do before the pattern will be ready.

But then I started on this too…

I have to say, it’s a real treat to be following someone else’s pattern for a change. This hare’s head trophy is going on the wall in my newly painted lounge once it’s finished.

But before I could get it finished another pattern idea jumped into my head and I found myself beginning to hook up this..

But there’ll be more about that in a later post!

As I’m so near to finishing my blanket I’m going to give that priority over the next few evenings. I had already started the very last decorative row of tassels and was starting to daydream about having another finished project under my belt…

…except that I got about two thirds of the way around and decided I didn’t like them! They were a bit spidery and ragged looking and I got to thinking they wouldn’t really lay neatly when the blanket was spread out on the bed.

After a bit of rapid frogging I have redesigned the edging into a sweet pompom detail that sits quite flush to the last row and so should remain neat and orderly no matter how much the blanket is strewn around.

Only a few repeats made so far but I know I love it already.

And Mojo enjoys doing his bluebeard impression with it. I never realised he had ambitions to be a pirate.

Lastly, I’ve been enjoying lots of round the river rambles, I’ve damaged my foot somehow so no more high impact running for a little while, but with big, fat memory foam insoles I can still get out and walk a good 4 miles several times a week.

It’s fun dodging the showers and chasing the sunshine. Those tiny patches of blue always hold out some hope for a summer idyll!

This mix of weather has certainly got it’s plus points when the countryside looks such a sumptuous green instead of the withered browns and beiges of a prolonged dry spell. Whatever the British weather is it’s never boring or predictable.

In my next post I may be able to bring you news of my many projects all finished up together. Or I may be bringing you tales of new ones started as the WIP pile grows and grows to unmanageable proportions! I’m going to endeavour to make it the former but I’m afraid I really can’t make any promises there. Just as all this heat and rain has made the natural world bloom and multiply outside I think it may have done the same for my creative sparkle!

I hope you’re having a brilliantly busy time too this summer, or a lazy, hazy one if that’s what you prefer 🙂 Enjoy!

14 thoughts on “Sunshine and Showers”

So glad to see your progress with the blanket – with cat accompaniments 🙂
I was delighted to see your new pattern – I know two little girls who have the Curlique Unicorn, who would love Princess Petunia to go with them 🙂
I’m still too busy with my present WIP’s to even think of starting on my animal heads book, though, so it’ll be nice to see your progress there, too 🙂
Hope your foot gets better soon – it can’t be much fun 🙁
{whispers, so Kushka doesn’t know} I adored the pic of Mojo Bluebeard 🙂

Hopefully Petunia will be finished in the next week or so. Sounds like we’re both as good as each other at keeping busy 🙂 I have got a little further with the hares head but the pattern was a bit challenging, being quite different to the way I write mine, which is good, because I learnt a lot too!

I was just thinking this morning we must be due for a post from you… please know that at least one hooker stateside adores absolutely everything you do, including the writing bits. Thanks for brightening my days. 🙂

We have much rain also. It rained so hard there was a bit of a mud slide that was a mile and a half long but no injuries and the road was fine after all the debris was moved. Enjoying seeing the Rufous hummingbirds and seeing the fawns….one mother hard triplets!!! Spring and summer is amazing but I also love fall and winter. Each day is a blessing for sure. Thanks for sharing you beautiful life as always.

Goodness that sound quite scary. Glad to hear no one was hurt. It sounds like you live in a beautiful place for wildlife. I love all the seasons too, there is always something different to look forward to!

Love to see all your wip. I have loads at the moment too and I need to get a move on with them all. Sorry to hear you have damaged your foot. What did you do? I broke mine last week, so I can’t get about well at all – so much for tap dancing (and no I wasn’t in the sink!). Look forward to your next update x

A mountain of WIPs is a common side effect of having too many ideas and not enough time! Sorry to hear you broke your foot, hope you’re able to get back to your tap dancing soon. Sounds like a good excuse to get some WIPs ticked off the list though! I’m not quite sure what happened with my foot but the tendon (I think?) in the ball of my foot seems to be inflamed which is making my middle toes feel like they’re full of gravel and cut glass whenever I make contact with the floor. I think it’s just general wear and tear. I’m missing my running but have a sneaking suspicion that it’s the running that’s done me in!